I am a chef at a restuarant in Sheff town centre and its interesting to read about customers complaints or opinions regarding food/service etc. I think it would be interesting to hear the other side of the coin on this one so lets start a 'Chef/Waiter-Waitress Gripes!' discussion. Ill kick off.......:huh:

People who order Fillet Steak 'WELL DONE'!!!!!!!!!!! what is the ruddy point. ill chuck it straight in the bin and cut out the middle man. you pay a high price for a beautiful piece of meat, locally sourced and juicy and then ask to have it incinerated to the size of a postage stamp and with all the texture of a hush puppy. 'i dont like blood' the customer cries...then have a tofu burger and get the hell out!!!!! ho ho - that feels great to get it off my chest...come on everyone, jump on the bandwagon:D

Ill have a fillet steak please. I like mine still `mooing`

I like steak to twitch when you cut it.

As a bus driver, it really annoys me when people want to go to xxxxxxxx. Why the hell do they want to go there - it's a rubbish place and I think that they should go to yyyyyyy, it's much better. If they don't like my opinion, they should get the hell off my bus (which I personally own).

I don't believe it !! How dare your customers have the cheek to order something of their own choosing, who do they think they are? Don't they realise that if they are priveliged enough to eat in your wonderous restaurant they should eat whatever the chef sees fit and be bl00dy grateful.

Just think what state the world would be in if any customers actually got what they asked for, heaven forbid if they ever even paid for it as well!

I agree with you chef, kick them out of the blinking door with a flea in their ear and a scutch round the back of their head, for questioning your wisdom.

They can then vote with their feet and potter off down to Joe Bloggs Restaurant for a 'hush puppy' steak. Yum, Yum, happy customer, no money in your till, Joe Bloggs opens another retaurant and you end up signing on. Sweet.

When I was a dead-meat-eater, I used to show the steak to the pan and toss it onto the plate, and the thicker the better. Lashings of bearnaise sauce and some lightly steamed veg.

My flat mate would say that a good vet would have it on its feet in 5 minutes :thumbsup:

Such a waste of a good cut! :rant:

Ill have a fillet steak please. I like mine still `mooing`
lol. That really tickled me.

I don't think I can think of one off the top of my head.
Ooh, this happened once. :hihi:

"Soooo...how come I've never seen you around then?" :rolleyes:
"Are you new ? What's your name ?"
"I see you've got a promotion running here. Free bottle of wine."
"Where's mine?"
ME: "Sorry, this says, it starts in May. It's only April."

Yes, some people will try and push their luck ! :P

People who order Fillet Steak 'WELL DONE'!!!!!!!!!!! what is the ruddy point. ill chuck it straight in the bin and cut out the middle man. you pay a high price for a beautiful piece of meat, locally sourced and juicy and then ask to have it incinerated to the size of a postage stamp and with all the texture of a hush puppy. 'i dont like blood' the customer cries...then have a tofu burger and get the hell out!!!!! ho ho - that feels great to get it off my chest...come on everyone, jump on the bandwagon:D

LOL. Totally with you my friend! It's completely and totally unacceptable. People who want well done fillet steak should be made to sit outside the back of the restaurant.

I like my steak so rare it eats my peas!

Love the 'good vet' reference Lizz... :hihi:

People who order Fillet Steak 'WELL DONE'!!!!!!!!!!! what is the ruddy point. ill chuck it straight in the bin and cut out the middle man. you pay a high price for a beautiful piece of meat, locally sourced and juicy and then ask to have it incinerated to the size of a postage stamp and with all the texture of a hush puppy. 'i dont like blood' the customer cries...then have a tofu burger and get the hell out!!!!! ho ho - that feels great to get it off my chest...come on everyone, jump on the bandwagon:D

LOL. Totally with you my friend! It's completely and totally unacceptable. People who want well done fillet steak should be made to sit outside the back of the restaurant in the dark cold night.

I like my steak so rare it eats my peas!

Love the 'good vet' reference Lizz... :hihi:

as an ex chef i'm quite happy to go on the record and state that it would be a great job if it weren't for customers. also people who are rude and arrogant to waiters are just stupid

I'd Just like to say, well said to discodown,
we've had far too many arrogant people come in and think that they are better than any other person who lives on this great planet (soley for the reason that they've been fed with a silver spoon found in their ass at birth, all their lives)
Why they feel the need to talk down to people is beyond me.

As far the comments from the person before about "I don't believe it !! How dare your customers have the cheek to order something of their own choosing" ,

when their own choosing is something out of mere habbit and not out of taste then it is up to us as experienced chefs to try and guide these poor people in the direction of good food, as i think the starter of this thread meant.

It's not about telling people what they can have it's about getting them out of the five year old mentality of eerrrrrrrrrrrrr i don't like blood!!! i can't possibly eat something with blood,
why else would you want a well done steak?

surely you can't be telling me it tastes better or tastes of anything

really who are you trying to fool

On another subject, something that really grinds my gears is when you do a check back and everything is fine with customers meals, then when it comes to bill paying time their are lots of problems (even though the food is some where in the customers tummy happily digesting away).

Could some one please tell me why this is?
do these people just go out to get something for free?

I feel better now i've said my peace

My flat mate would say that a good vet would have it on its feet in 5 minutes :thumbsup::


this has got to be the quote of the week :hihi:

Stolen from Blackadder..

Bad food is made without pride, by cooks who have no pride, and no love. Bad food is made by chefs who are indifferent, or who are trying to be everything to everybody, who are trying to please everyone ... Bad food is fake food ... food that shows fear and lack of confidence in people’s ability to discern or to make decisions about their lives. Food that’s too safe, too pasteurised, too healthy – it’s bad! There should be some risk, like unpasteurised cheese. Food is about rot, and decay, and fermentation….as much as it is also about freshness.

'Have a nice day' Y'all.
'Do you want help with your packing' . . of that packet of ciggie papers!
'How's the meal'

'Come back sooon' . . .
. . . . not if you keep pestering me with these banal questions that you don't mean, that you don't care about and that an answer is neither expected or wanted.

AND another thing McGarry - Do you realise that 'fine' is the most efficient response to get you to go away pronto

I need a badge that says (good mood)
" I am not the mystery customer. You will not get a tick in a box for bothering me "

(Bad mood) " Do not bother me , a smack in the mouth with a crunchy well done steak often offends."

im also intolerant of wheat intolerant people. hands up if you have a '21st century-weiner-letter from mum excusing you from games-paranoid-jus cos everyone has got one i best have one too' allergy.

I don't like :-

olives - foriegn
squash - never heard of it
green stuff - too mushey
white stuff - aspergers
nuts - medical
fish - too fishy
red meat - I need big arterys. I'm thinking about a marathon in 2010
pasta - see white stuff above.
egg's - always too hard or too soft

Apart from these. I'll eat anything. I'm a real omivour me!

(super7)I think that maybe, someone should invent some new kind of totally non offensive food for you to eat because then that way you might be happy?

what exactly do you eat to survive?

and what do your comments mean before? , i'd love to know

I am totally intrigued by super7's reasons for not eating certain foods.

Olives - foreign. Just like most of the rest of the food we eat in the UK
Green stuff - too mushy. Don't overcook it.
White stuff - apergers. What IS that?

The best one has to be the nuts though. Just HOW do you get nuts to be medical??????? I'd love to hear the explanation :hihi:

True about the red meat though... and good luck with the marathon.

And I totally agree with Cavellsuk that there is no excuse for bad food. All food starts off in the same condition, it's how people wreck it that makes the difference.

Actually, I have no grips about people who wants their food a certain way. Maybe cos I've been brought up to give that bit of extra service. However, there are extremes... just don't try doing this when there's like a full house. You seriously would not be able to get that bit of TLC you so care for.

Grips. There can be some cheeky customers...

"Sorry, you gave me the wrong change. I gave you a 20."
ME: "Oh, the money you gave me is still here on the counter. I've not put it back into the til yet." :rolleyes:

*Brrring, brrring*
"Hi, I just want to make a complaint about the take-out. The food tastes horrible. The curries are too runny, and then there's peas in the fried rice."
ME: "Ok. Well, do you have any left, our drivers can come back and collect it for a replacement."
"Oh, well, it's eaten. I just want to make a complaint."
ME: "Pffff....!"
"Oh well, do tell us next time what you prefer, and we'll try and match that. It's standards to have peas in the fried rice. :rolleyes:"
(What do you expect us to do ? Do you want blood from us ? Sheesh...)

AND then there's a few con artists out there who does the usual fraud cheque thing. Which are usually caught out. Cos you end up knowing who these people are. :P

well having worked both sides of the coin - i find that that chefs are rude, don't rush when you know that your customer is an arse and your copping itin the ear from them.hey are arrogant and have no patience for us waitresses who are'to thick and talentless to get a proper job!'

On the other hand, waitresses/waiters don't have a clue how long it takes to actually COOK the food (esp your well done steaks!) and you'd be able to get it out quicker if they would just bloody hassling you for a lemon for the bar, and if they weren't so bleeding thick they could get it themselves......

It is a shame to see a nice piece of meat wasted by incinerating it.
But there's no accounting for taste at the end of the day.

My other half won't eat steak until it has been cooked to the consistency of shoe leather, even though we tell him it tastes much nicer if you stop cooking it before the fire brigade arrive! However, if he is prepared to pay for his meal, and he has been asked "how do you like your steak sir?" then he is entitled to what he has asked for I think.

as an ex chef i'm quite happy to go on the record and state that it would be a great job if it weren't for customers. also people who are rude and arrogant to waiters are just stupid
i would never dare be rude to waiters or kitchen staff. anyone who has access to pubic hair and my food deserves treating well.

When I was a dead-meat-eater, I used to show the steak to the pan and toss it onto the plate, and the thicker the better. Lashings of bearnaise sauce and some lightly steamed veg.

My flat mate would say that a good vet would have it on its feet in 5 minutes :thumbsup:

Such a waste of a good cut! :rant:
Are you talking about Stanley? :huh:

A chef I worked with told me that the worst cuts of meat are put to one side for people that order it well done....say a filet mignon, the ends are saved for that, also If you do like a well done steak ,to order it med/rare as you'll get a good cut, then send it back and have it cooked more, I've never tried it as I like mine med/rare anyhow.

so the everyday chef's think they can now tell us how to eat our food "correctly". doesn't appear to have worked for a celeb chef.
i pay the wages i want what i ask for.

I think it's a chef's ethic towards food when it comes to steaks. They think, what is the best way to treat a piece of good quality ingredient. However, the chef should still use the same cut for all his portions, else he'll just damage the restaurant's reputation. Unless the eater can't tell what he's eating, but then again, it'll just lower the standard of the eating establishment.

I think steak is one of those mains that you can have a choice over how it's done. I can't imagine someone sending a lasagne back into the kitchen and say that there's too much cheese in it. Now that's picky.

Steaks are actually done in different ways even if you go abroad. If you go to France, they tend to undercook the steak, than to overcook it. So, a medium becomes medium-rare, well done becomes medium. As Poppins say, it leaves room for errors to be amended.

LennyFalcon, care to name the charming establishment you work for, so I don't have the unpleasant experience of being served by you?

Apologies to lizzmobile, mcgarry and others.

Sometimes I need to get a rant of my chest and this time I'm afraid this was it. It was diffucult to type with my tongue shoved into the aside of my mouth.

Re: Aspergers Syndrome: please read 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time' by Mark Haddon - A guide to colours that he can eat and a damn good/funny read.

LennyFalcon, care to name the charming establishment you work for, so I don't have the unpleasant experience of being served by you?

'my opinions dont necessarily reflect those of the restaurant' is the sayin i believe. hey this is jus a good natured attempt to get gripes off your chest nothin more. and would you believe one of others is people who say 'i pay your wages' - no you dont, id get paid anyway even if you didnt come in and buy that one cup o tea you been romancing for over an hour!! when i used to work front of house i loved it when you took food over for a couple who had ordered it only 15 minutes previous and you say "who has the chicken??" they look blankly at you, blankly at each other and then ask each other "did you order that chicken", "no mine was the beef", " oh it must be mine then" - AAAAARRRGGGHHH, you ordered it 15 mins ago. DUUURRRR. or you carrying 3 plates and they go "i ordered a bowl of chips too" - oh sorry here thy are shoved up my ass. cant you see my hands are full????

'my opinions dont necessarily reflect those of the restaurant' is the sayin i believe. hey this is jus a good natured attempt to get gripes off your chest nothin more. and would you believe one of others is people who say 'i pay your wages' - no you dont, id get paid anyway even if you didnt come in and buy that one cup o tea you been romancing for over an hour!! when i used to work front of house i loved it when you took food over for a couple who had ordered it only 15 minutes previous and you say "who has the chicken??" they look blankly at you, blankly at each other and then ask each other "did you order that chicken", "no mine was the beef", " oh it must be mine then" - AAAAARRRGGGHHH, you ordered it 15 mins ago. DUUURRRR. or you carrying 3 plates and they go "i ordered a bowl of chips too" - oh sorry here thy are shoved up my ass. cant you see my hands are full????

I'll wager you're a 'chef' (or is it 'microwave operative'?) at Wetherspoons!

Lenny falcon That does sound pretty annoying, thats why i work back of house!!!

How about people who pre order food then they can't remember what they ordered, especially when it's out of a choice of three things!! he he, it makes you laugh.

As well all the steaks we use are the same whether or not they are well done or rare, the amount of tears that come out of our eyes increases the more the steak it cooked tho!! he he

Super 7, don't worry it feels good to get things off your chest sometimes and this is by far the best place to do it!!

read that book too and it was great, funny in a strange sort of way

Have you noticed almost everyone of these gripes are reverse-able.

Have you heard about the one where the customer didn't know what they had ordered and then the waiter didn't know what was on the plates!

you know i once saw this table and 3 of the party had left money for their food and included a tip. the other 2 members stayed abit longer and finished their drinks. then they used the tips to help pay their part of the bill. and left no tip. :rant: i cant use the words id like to on theis forum but it rhymes with brother truckers. i mean how low can you stoop??? stealing from charity shops??? no shame some people.

if you undercooked my steak you wouldn't get a tip off me either.

the customer is always right - i think is the term we're looking for.

Where I worked, If we were in a rush to get done and hit the booze, and a customer orderd steak at 5 minutes to close, we`d first microwave it, deep fry it, then put a knife over a flame and sear the meat so it look `flame grilled` £12.99 for that! lol. Its there own fault for coming in when us chefs need to get to the pub for last hour.

As well all the steaks we use are the same whether or not they are well done or rare, the amount of tears that come out of our eyes increases the more the steak it cooked tho!! he he
Aw... no need to cry. Just be consoled that we don't have Kobe beef in this country. Then you would really cry ! I think my bro cried when my mom just fried it like some cheap beef cut offs. :D Ah bless.

"Hm... how come this Kobe beef is so chewy ? Don't see the point of it myself !"
Oh, sometimes I do love my mom. :hihi:

Where I worked, If we were in a rush to get done and hit the booze, and a customer orderd steak at 5 minutes to close, we`d first microwave it, deep fry it, then put a knife over a flame and sear the meat so it look `flame grilled` £12.99 for that! lol. Its there own fault for coming in when us chefs need to get to the pub for last hour.
love it - have done a similar thing my self - sear it on the grill, then a few minutes in an extemely high powered oven (til black n crispy!).

I do know of smeone who once sent back a well done steak saying that it was 'overdone'. Well i knew it was going to be when you asked for well done - muppet!

The thing is, never go to a restaurant an hour before food stops. The chefs are cleaning down, in a rush to get out, Hit the pub for lasties, they have probably been there since 9 that morning staring at the same four walls, sweating their B`s off, and dont care about what your food looks like in the last hour. Your food will likely be abused aswell. Heed this advice. There endeth the lesson.

the customer is always right - i think is the term we're looking for.
Absolutely. It's the same with putting ice in whisky or cider or whatever - if the customer wants it, they should get it. Though I don't suppose there's any harm in politely pointing out that they might find it tasted even better if they had the steak less well done, or the drink not chilled (whisky) or watered down (cider).

Depends how much you care about your job. Chefs dont see the customer face to face. If you ask for something and it means us going to the freezer to get it, we`ll just say were out of that particular meal and your non the wiser. I didnt care about my job it was just well paid. Didnt give a stuff aboiut the customers. Most chefs or microwave technicians dont either.

the customer is always right - i think is the term we're looking for.

NO, NO and thrice NO! :rant:
The customer is NOT always right!

That was the one phrase that was wheeled out by customers whenever they were wrong and didn't like it (I used to work in a shop). If the customer is wrong and they wheel that ol' gem out, it just makes me dig my heels in.

Absolutely. It's the same with putting ice in whisky or cider or whatever - if the customer wants it, they should get it. Though I don't suppose there's any harm in politely pointing out that they might find it tasted even better if they had the steak less well done, or the drink not chilled (whisky) or watered down (cider).


I do agree with some advice ...perhaps.
although i have advised the future ex mrs willman -she insists on well done steak. if any meat shows the slightest hint of blood it goes back.

that is her preference,to which she should be entitled.
sod what the chef wants to cook.

next time a chef orders a pint of lager & lime or cider & black someone ought to sell him a pint from the slop bucket.see how they like it.

Depends how much you care about your job. Chefs dont see the customer face to face. If you ask for something and it means us going to the freezer to get it, we`ll just say were out of that particular meal and your non the wiser. I didnt care about my job it was just well paid. Didnt give a stuff aboiut the customers. Most chefs or microwave technicians dont either.
Actually, that's a really bad attitude ! LOL...
Sorry to be so blunt but... it is. :P

At the end of the day, it's down to the owner/manager to sort it out. In the places that I've worked, we usually are very strict with closing times. (Yes, there'll be sneaky sods who will try to worm their way, and you end up annoying them, but then there's also some nice customers who will support you in your closing time.) '"Last orders" is 11:30pm, closing time is 12 midnight. If front of house take an order at 11:31pm, we get told off by the kitchen staff, and it bounces back ! (Ok, maybe this can happen cos the owner is also the chef. ;) ) I'm not kidding. We don't serve drinks either. At the end of the day, it's down to the front of house staff. They need to mean business when they mean business.

Rules are rules. Don't change it for anybody else. Also, no customers even comes in asking for things that we don't have. No-one would be dumb enough to walk into a pizza place to ask for fries, right ? You can change small things to make it better for the customers, but I don't think there's that many demanding customers which would push that limit really. However, I have seen some cheeky customers.

Monday's Specials. A, B, and C.
Customer: "Can we possibly change the A into a T please ?"

(NO, and that's why they are specials ! Cos we've bought them, and we've stocked them, and we would like to serve it today to make use of it. Else, just choose the a la carte menu.) :rolleyes:

[Added] Oh, sometimes I also relay back customer's comments too about how good the food were. Most customers are quite appreciative, and they can taste the difference. I've tasted some chain restaurants which had excellent chefs in their kitchen too. I recall cafe uno having one of those chef (which blew me away with the small personal touches to the same dish), but sadly, the standard is not there any more, and you can tell the difference.

next time a chef orders a pint of lager & lime or cider & black someone ought to sell him a pint from the slop bucket.see how they like it.
:hihi:

Well, I sure hope that the chef who ordered the pint can taste the difference !

I think those who are foodie would know their favourite dish inside and out. The good chefs would stay in this business the longest, cos their standards are always the same. (Which is quite hard to maintain really.) So, a tip for the typical diner, choose your restaurant wisely ! Or if you want to try new things, then go for the more reputable restaurants to begin with.

I was a waitress for 4 years and I think some of the comments above are a little uneccesary. If people want their steak burnt or this with that, they are entitled to ask, they are paying for a meal after all.

The only thing I used to REALLY HATE was when people would be nasty to ME about something totally out of my control, like "15 pounds for a bottle of chianti? you must be joking me!" - I'd always have to bite my tongue from saying 'sure, let me discount it for you, while I'm at it, I'll give myself a pay rise eh!' - dont complain to the wrong person!

the customer is always right - i think is the term we're looking for.
Not in my shop, they get what I tell them.

Yeh, well, with such moany people, it becomes a challenge then to make sure that their dinner goes smoothly, and a great big smile at the end of the night ! Yes... we kill them with kindness, and they ALWAYS smiles as they walk out of the door. RESULTS ! Yay !!! :hihi:

Actually, sometimes I'm a little bit sarky back. lol.
They don't mind...well...the ones with a sense of humour anyhow.

"15 pounds for a bottle of chianti? you must be joking me!"
ME: "Well, it is Italian, they're a bit pricy. Would you like the house red instead ? " :P
"Oh no, no, no. This is fine."
Kekeke... (some people are way too proud).

NO, NO and thrice NO! :rant:
The customer is NOT always right!

That was the one phrase that was wheeled out by customers whenever they were wrong and didn't like it (I used to work in a shop). If the customer is wrong and they wheel that ol' gem out, it just makes me dig my heels in.customers are very often wrong. in fact incredibly wrong and thick and arrogant and incompetent

customers are very often wrong. in fact incredibly wrong and thick and arrogant and incompetent


that funny thats what we customers think of people who provide services to us.
i often wonder how people who work in the "service" industries treat others when they become the customer?

as an example,family member -shop counter worker -customer "plaster boards cheaper @ B@Q than at your place", family member "well take yourself off to B&Q then,its only 5 minutes away"
famly member buying a car " can you price match that '05 car with the one i've seen @ Direct Cars" .
kettle & pot springs to mind.

Whilst we are on about wine......

How about the practice of putting the cheapest wine on at the second cheapest price. It's human nature is not to appear as a cheapscate and therefore they get max profit out of us anyway.

AND - Buying croissants in the supermarket and reheating in an oven to make out they are home made.

AND - we all know the price of wine in Somerfield so how do they explain the 100%-200%, no make that 300%! price hike for taking a cork out and providing glasses.

any more sharp practice out there?

...so how do they explain the 100%-200%, no make that 300%! price hike for taking a cork out and providing glasses.

If I ran a restaurant and found people would pay the inflated prices, why wouldn't I sell at that inflated price?

oh and heres another. with a meal like say a breakfast that has multiple items, customers cant just have what is provided they have to go "can i not have sausage but have extra bacon and can i have no mushrooms but extra eggs and can the bacon be crispy and can i have scrambled eggs not frIed and can i have the goddam moon on a stick and while youre at it can...." COOK IT YOUR SELF!!!!!!!!!!

and i know the reply to this will be from all you weiners goin "well surely the customer is paying and they can have what they like and etc etc." well youre probably right but guess what?? i want to moan.

ps i do love my job really. its thanks to customers like this that i find amusement everyday :D

Actually, with regards to wines and inflated prices. It is the overhead costs as always. Do you notice that some restaurants will keep the same prices for 2-3 years on the same bottles of wines ? The prices of old red creeps up, you still see similar pricing for the wines. Has anybody ever noticed that ? Some places will update their wine list accordingly to the market. Obviously, don't go to a Gordon Ramsey restaurant if you want reasonable prices.

I think the higher-end you go, the more likely you'll get a sommelier as well, which also pushes costs up. I'm not kidding but, the further South you go, the prices are more reasonable, and the quality of food is higher !

With regards to croissants and decent food. I think you should accept the fact that, a lot of restaurants in the North do not cook from fresh ingredients, but from things that you can buy from Makro say. So croissants or no croissants... at least be mindful of this is how it is up here in the North ! I dare say things are much fresher, and there's more of an ethic down South. PLUS, at least the eaters know it as well. :love: :thumbsup: If people are more picky of their food, then at least this drives the restaurants to increase their standard of quality !

Come on people push ! If there's no demand for fresh food, then no-one will supply it.

AND - Buying croissants in the supermarket and reheating in an oven to make out they are home made.

any more sharp practice out there?
Actually, you'll find a lot of chain hotels do the same. Unless you go to the higher-end of the market, I doubt that they will employ their own baker.

99.99% of the time the customer is WRONG;)

The other day, an old lady put their teapot under the hot water spout, and then, when the water had stopped, peered into the pot , turns round the me and goes "This tea is a funny colour Pour it down the drain and get me another!!!" I know you have to pretend they are right and smile and be lovely but:rant: :rant: For God's Sake! It was a Tetley teabag and Pure Hot Water...

Another lady had a go at me because her bum was too big for the seats...:confused: :confused:

[QUOTE=Bago]Actually, with regards to wines and inflated prices. It is the overhead costs as always. Do you notice that some restaurants will keep the same prices for 2-3 years on the same bottles of wines ? !
QUOTE]

Some years ago we found an Indian place in Middleton (Nr Manchester) that had Chateau Neuf du Pap on the wine list at supermarket price! No one else seemed to be drinking it. We went back every Friday night till we'd cleared the lot out - it must have been at least 2 cases!

that funny thats what we customers think of people who provide services to us.
i often wonder how people who work in the "service" industries treat others when they become the customer?speaking for myself i can say that unless people are incompetent or their company is incompetent i treat people in the service industry how i would've wished to be treated.

how do you treat people in the service industry?

You're not going to like me for saying this, but, I feel sorry for the people in the service industry because I have been there, done that. So sometimes, I even help stack the dishes ready to be taken away. Until my friends look at me weirdly. :loopy: :hihi:

I would give them a knowing look, or ask about their day.

speaking for myself i can say that unless people are incompetent or their company is incompetent i treat people in the service industry how i would've wished to be treated.

how do you treat people in the service industry?


exactly as i like to be treated.
i don't apportion blame for loss of broadband to the individual who answers the phone,for example - but i do trust them to act accordingly when i do speak to them.
when i ask for a big mac with no pickle - thats what i want. not a chicken burger 'cos they think it's better for me.
if i want well done steak then the job of the chef is to provide it.
now if i wanted a beef wellington & it wasn't on the menu,i could appreciate the chef getting the face on and refusing to provide it.

You're not going to like me for saying this, but, I feel sorry for the people in the service industry because I have been there, done that. So sometimes, I even help stack the dishes ready to be taken away. Until my friends look at me weirdly. :loopy: :hihi:

I would give them a knowing look, or ask about their day.


we almost always collect the pots or at least show willing.
they are service staff - not slaves.
it doesn't hurt to be polite or smile or leave a tip.

exactly as i like to be treated.
i don't apportion blame for loss of broadband to the individual who answers the phone,for example - but i do trust them to act accordingly when i do speak to them.
when i ask for a big mac with no pickle - thats what i want. not a chicken burger 'cos they think it's better for me.
if i want well done steak then the job of the chef is to provide it.
now if i wanted a beef wellington & it wasn't on the menu,i could appreciate the chef getting the face on and refusing to provide it.me neither, when i complain i keep it short to the point and explain what i'd like to happen. what i don't do is rant, shout, threaten, bully or accuse the person of anything. the chances are it isn't their fault and if it is their fault then i ask to speak to someone who is competent.

the truth of the matter is its a little of both, useless customers who think they are owed the earth get treated badly by the staff. useless staff who can't be bothered rightly get treated badly by the customers.

there seems to be a lack of willingness to complain in britain but if you do it in the right way its amazing how willing companies can be.

now if i wanted a beef wellington & it wasn't on the menu,i could appreciate the chef getting the face on and refusing to provide it.funnily enough if i was the chef and you were very nice to the waiting staff and asked very nicely i'd probably do it for you if i wasn't too busy and i think you'd find most chefs who give a toss would agree with me

me neither, when i complain i keep it short to the point and explain what i'd like to happen. what i don't do is rant, shout, threaten, bully or accuse the person of anything. the chances are it isn't their fault and if it is their fault then i ask to speak to someone who is competent.

the truth of the matter is its a little of both, useless customers who think they are owed the earth get treated badly by the staff. useless staff who can't be bothered rightly get treated badly by the customers.

there seems to be a lack of willingness to complain in britain but if you do it in the right way its amazing how willing companies can be.


this is the loveliest post yet - i would like to shake you by the hand for nailing on the head exactly why i started this thread. you must be the best customer to serve ever!!!:hihi:

this is the loveliest post yet - i would like to shake you by the hand for nailing on the head exactly why i started this thread. you must be the best customer to serve ever!!!:hihi::D i do try!

then again having worked in the service industry for a very long time i know how hard it is and how to get what you want!

Slightly off topic, but along the lines of customer rudeness.

Was standing at the bar, waiting to be served. It's quiet.

Only myself and another customer waiting at the bar.

Bloke next to me is having 2 Old Fashioneds made for him.

I believe they take a little while to make.

I was enjoying watching the bartender make these drinks.

Bartender is stirring one of them and knocks the other over.

Customer: "Hahaha, you'll have to make that one again."

:gag:

well i know this guy and i have eaten in the restaurant he works in and the food was spot on.

The thing is and i fall into this, people do tend to have the same thing alot, it's always nice to here a chef or waiter/ess offering there knowledge on the food and saying why not try it like this?!.

there is also no excuse for rudeness from either side of the counter.

Well, to do that, then you gotta know the customer pretty well. Some customers may think that because you are recommending them something, that you are trying to sell them something that they don't want. It's very hard to pitch it well. Bit of customer psychology needs to be thought of.

Actually, if you're the type of customer that wants to try something different, why don't you initiate the conversation, and see what your reponses are ? You may be surprised...

At least, if you go to an establishment and the waiting staff knows the menu inside and out, you know you're in a good dining place.

Actually, it's pretty hard. Cos sometimes if a dish is more expensive, they think you're trying to squeeze money from them ! Then again, I've worked with owners who try to impose their own 'no food wasting' ethics on their customers. So they will try and limit what they order. lol....

Actually, I'm like that too. I hate to see good food go to waste. I rather people didn't order so much, than to bin things. Starving children out there and all that....

you know i once saw this table and 3 of the party had left money for their food and included a tip. the other 2 members stayed abit longer and finished their drinks. then they used the tips to help pay their part of the bill. and left no tip. :rant: i cant use the words id like to on theis forum but it rhymes with brother truckers. i mean how low can you stoop??? stealing from charity shops??? no shame some people.



MR Falcon I suppose its like swopping price tags on stuff in oxfam?anyway i totally agree with you as i have worked with some chefs in my time 1 who shall remain nameless had a sayin "GET IT SENT" which basically means what it says no matter how bad the food looked.